Dragline bucket



J. D. RAUcH DRAAGLINE BUCKET Jar#` 8, 1935.

Filed June 3,' 1932 2 Sheets-Sheetl 1 Omg @.0. www NW QW W J. D. RAUCHDRAGLINE BUCKET Jan. 8, 1935. j

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 3, 1932 riveting.

Surrounding the front edge of the bucket below thecheeks 11,1-11, Iprovide amouthpiece or cutting lip 28 formed of aplateof ,relativelyhigh abrasive-resisting qualities, preferably steel, said plate beingover and connected to the corner pieces 26, 26 and side -walls 13 byrivets 29, 29, and also being connected to the bottom wall by rivets 30,30. vIt will be observedin Figure 6, that theupper'surface-cfthefmouthpiece plate is rabbeted with a rearward facingshoulder 28a so as to receive the ,forward margin of the bottom platewith 'theupper surfaces of both plates flush. ffii fi A ller plate 32 isinterposed below the bottom plate and withinithe :rabbetedwpor-tion vof4the mouthpiece plate, 'said'v `filler plate vextending transverselybetween 'theliinnerfpposed edges of the corner pieces 26,.26"as-is'bestshownin-Figu1'e5-5and 6, i'l

'A plurality of forwardly projecting-dipperteeth 35, 3 5 are mountedalongthe `cutting vlipof the bucket, in the form shown said dipperteeth'each having a base formed -of upper and lower forked legs 36, 37,respectively, fitting/over the front 'edge of the mouthpiece plate 28."The two intermediate teeth, o neof which is shown in enlarged detail inFigure', each have their upper leg 36 overlying the front margin of thebottom plate 25, `and theirconnecting rivets-30, 'ex-'- tendv throughsaid upperimargin'of vthe bottom plate, the rfiller plate 32, themouthpiece plate 28, and the lower leg 37 ofthe tooth. The outer pairlof teeth are similarlysecured by.rivets, exceptingthat saidteethpreferably register with andare riveted tothe lower rabbetedmargins 26 ofthe corner pieces 26, asshown in VFigure 5.

r I also provide a pluralityofskids`40, 41 extendinglongitudinallyfalong the bottom Vand partway up the rear wall, saidskids being preferably connected in longitudinal'alignment with each ofthe teeth 35, v and the outermost 'pai-r of f-skids 40, 40 beingrivetedat the adjacent overlapping joints of the bottom plate 25 and Icornerpiece 26, while vthe two central skids 41,' 41" are riveted directly tothe curved bottom platev 25. 1

The arch structure-10 is made up of a plurality of rplates andreinforcing strips `which ywill'now befde'scribed n detail. Y

Overlying the outer sides of the side plates 13% at the cheekportions11,11 of thefbucket, 'is an inner arch plate 42s (See Figs. 2 and 3.)The upright lowerportions 4 3, 4 3 of `saidinner arch plate extenddownwardly and rearwardly from the front ofthe bucketjso'as to lap theupper margins 28eo'f the mouthpiece plate '28, and are connected theretoby a pluralityof rivets 44, 44 which also pass through the sideplates13E., 13a `as shown in Figures 1, 2 land 5. The side or cheekportions`43 of said inner arch platev which overlap the side plates,13?? are therefore wider longitudinally. kOfthejbuc'zket than the uppertransversely, curved portion ofthefarch structure, as is best seen invFigure 1.

Aplurality of reinforcing strips or bars are carried upwardly and,across the arch structure lust.Outsidefpthe:inner argh plete, 42. the

form s hownthree rows of such reinforcingstrips beingemploye@,eahrowconsis' 'g'pfa flat bar 45 of uniformfth'ickness'-'throughut'ts length,

and a superimposed bar 46 which is substantially thicker overthe topofthe arch structure and tapered downwardly along the sides of saidstructure as clearly shown in Figure 4. Another similar set ofreinforcing bars 45a, 46EL is disposed along each rear margin of theinner arch plate where it joins the side plates 13, as is best seen inFiguresv land 5. r Y

An outer arch plate 47 extends over the top of the arch structure indirect engagement with 4. the tapered reinforcing strips 46 and 46a.This outer arch plate is of substantially the same pattern as the innerarch plate 42, excepting that theupright lower portions thereof extenddownwardlyL only to,` but not lapping the mouthpiece plate 28, as isclearly shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5. Incorporated alsoV in this archstructure are the draglineA connecting brackets 18, 18 at thefrontofeach cheek portion 11. These brackets are interposedlongitudinally between the outer and inner arch vplates'42 and '47,'andare 'securely connectedthereto by a' plurality of .through rivetsr48,which rivetsalso extend through the adjacent portions of .the sideplates as is best seen in'Figure 2. With this construction it will beobserved that the brackets are fully housed between the arch plates sothat the connecting rivetsare in double shear, thus providing anextremely rigid and secure connection at these points.4 Y

VIt will be seen also in Figure 1 thata reinforcing plate 50 extendsforwardly and horizontally from each of the trunnion supports 21, 21along its respective side plate 13a, and each reinforcing plate isoffset outwardly'at its forward end so as to overlie the adjacent innerarch plate 42 and with its forward end abutting the adjacent draglinebracket 18. A filler plate 51 is interposed between the outer arch plate4'7 and therhorizontal reinforcing plate 50, as isalso shown in Figure5. All of theparts just mentioned are secured4 together by a pluralityofthrough rivets 54, which also extend through the side plates 13a. y Theupper margins of the side and rear walls 12 and14 are also reinforced bystrips '55 'which may also be of aluminum, riveted along the inner edgethereof. As an added protection against abrasion'and wear`of the dumpline connections, I also providea pair of inverted L-shaped anglesteels'trips 56 'along the outer 'and top edge of the side plates, asshown in Figure 7. From the above description, it will n ow be seen thatwhen riveted together, the draglne bracket 18, the inner and outer archplates 42 and 47, and the upper Amargins 28a'of the mouthpiece plate 28are all secured to eachother and to the adjacent side plates -13afof thebucket,vthus makingran extremely rigid and strongly reinforcedframework, which framework is further extended downwardly to include thecorner pieces 26, 26 'through the mouthpiece plate 28, and is alsoextended rearwardly to the trunnion supports' 21 through the horizontalreinforcing plates 50.

With, the construction above described, it is possible'to form the sideplates 13a and the bottom and rear plate 25 of sheet'metal which isconsiderably thinner than `heretofore employed in buckets of thecharacter described, whereby the entire bucket is lighter in weight, andyet so reinforced by the heavier framework `members described that itismore substantial than buckets lof the vusual type having relativelythick and heavy sectioned walls throughout its structure. 'v Moreespecially I find itpossible to construct the major portion'of myimproved form of bucket out of aluminum"V or, a similar relatively lightmetal, so that the bucket is considerably lighter than steel bucketsheretofore employed. In addition to its lightness the strength due tothe reinforced vstructure makes it even more substantial than .thecustomary bucket built of steel. Its lightness makes it possible toincrease thecapacity of the bucket for a given load-pulling capacityidly and completely than is the case with ordinary all-steel buckets. ii

. Although I have illustrated and described one particular embodiment ofmy invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited tothe exact construction shown and described, but that various changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope Kof my invention.

I claim:

1. A dragline bucket having bottom, rear and side walls formed of sheetmetal, and a reinforcing framework including continuous corner piecesextending along the lower and rear corners of said bucket and connectingsaid side walls with said bottom and rear `walls throughout theirlength, and a mouthpiece plate connected between said corner piecesandextending transversely across the front margin of said bottom wall toform the cutting lip of said bucket.

2. A dragline bucket having side walls formed ,of sheet metal, acontinuous sheet metal plate forming the bottom and rear walls of saidbucket,

and a reinforcing framework including continu- `ous corner piecesconnecting each of said side .walls with said continuous sheet metalplate throughout its length, said corner pieces being substantiallythicker than said' side walls and continuous sheet metal plate, and amouthpiece plate connected between said corner pieces and extendingtransversely across the front margin of said bottom wall to form thecutting lip of said bucket.

3. Abucket of the class described, having sheet metal plates forming theside, bottom and rear walls, and a reinforcing framework including apair of continuous corner pieces extending along the lower side cornersand upwardly along the rear of thebucket to form the bottom and rearcorners thereof, a mouthpiece plate connected between said corner piecesand transversely across the front margin of saidl bottom wall to formthe cutting lip of said bucket, said last named plate extending upwardlyalong the sides of said bucket, a fabricated arch structure extendingupwardlyv above said mouthpiece plate comprising a plurality ofcontinuous sheet metal plates, said arch structure including a platelapped with and connected to said mouthpiece plate` at the sides of saidbucket, the sheet metal plates forming the` `side walls extendingforwardly in lapped 'relation with the lapped portions of saidarchstructure to form the bottom and rear corners thereof, a

mouthpiece plate connected between said corner pieces and transverselyacross the front margin of saidbottom wall to form the cutting lip ofsaid bucket, vsaid last named plate extending upwardly along the sidesof said bucket, a fabricated arch structure extending upwardly abovesaid mouthpiece plate, saidarch structure consisting of a plurality ofsheet metal plates arched over the front end of said bucket andincluding a plate lapped with and connected to said mouthpiece plate atthe sides of said bucket, dragline connecting brackets at the frontlower corners of said arch structure, a hoist line connecting bracket atthe top of said arch structure, trunnion bearing supports for the dumpline mounted on the side plates adjacent the rear of said bucket, and areinforcingplate extending forwardly from each of said trunnion bearingsupports into lapped engagement with said arch structure.

5. A fabricated bucket ofthe character described, comprising sheetaluminum side, rear and bottom walls, and a reinforcing frameworkcomprising continuous corner pieces extending along the bottom cornersand upwardly along the rear corners of said bucket, a steel cutting lipconnected to said corner pieces and extending along the lower front edgeof said bucketand upwardly along the side walls thereof, and an archstructure connected to said cutting lip, and -formed of a plurality ofsheet metal aluminum plates.

6. A bucket of the class described, having sheet metal side, bottom andrearwalls and reinforcing framework comprising a pair of continuouscorner pieces extending along the lower side corners and upwardly alongthe rear of the bucket to form the bottom and rear corners thereof, amouthpiece plate connected to and extending between the front ends ofsaid corner pieces to form the cutting lip of said bucket, saidmouthpiece plate being rabbeted.` at its rear edge to receive the frontmarginsof said sheet metal bottom plate,

and a plurality cf dipper teeth mounted on said shank interposedbetweentwo of said plates at4 the front end of said bucket, trunnionbearing supports mounted on each of said side plates, horizontallyextending reinforcing strips extending forwardly from said bearingsupports and between said inner and outer arch plates in substantiallyhorizontal alignment with the adjacent dragline connecting bracket, andmeans securing the lower margins of said inner and outer arch plates,side plate, dragline connecting bracket and reinforcing strip together.

JOHN D. RAUCH. t g

